Research: Work Stress & Risk of Cancer

Work Stress and Risk of Cancer: Meta-analysis of 5700 Incident Cancer Events in 116,000 European Men and Women.

Study Question:

Does work related stress increase the risk of common cancers?

Summary Answer:

Work related stress, measured and defined as job strain, is not associated with incident colorectal, lung, prostate, or breast cancers.

What is Known and What this Paper Adds:

Work realted stress is associated with many adverse health outcomes, such as coronary heart disease (CHD) and depression. It has been suggested that work stress could also increase the risk of cancer. Thus far, however, the evidence of this association has been inconclusive.